Montana

75 million years ago

Swiftfang was no stranger to survival.

The juvenile Speed Stinger, as humans would later call his species, had explored every inch of his forest territory and knew every nook and cranny. He would chase any creature that entered, be it dragon or one of those other reptilians.

Swiftfang had once been part of a pack, but after being separated from it in a hunt gone wrong, he was left to fend for himself. He had become both a hunter and a scavenger, killing off small animals while waiting for one of the larger carnivores to finish off its meal so that he could get in on the feast. But, of course, not all meals were just there for the taking.

Swiftfang remembered that a whole pack of Hunters had ambushed him when he approached a carcass of a Threehorn. Those animals had long, curved claws on each foot to inflict deadly wounds on their prey. He had barely escaped alive.

Now, the young, wingless dragon lived by his own rules. Survive by any and all means necessary. He would pick off any animal who fell back from its main group, one that would be weak or sick. However, Swiftfang avoided those he couldn't bring down alone.

He waited patiently. This small bush was enough to hide him from anything. A large herbivore with a long, tube-like crest on its head emerged and began to graze right near his hiding place. Swiftfang tensed up and held his ground, eyes locked on the soft, vulnerable flesh of the creature's neck. And when the moment came…

…he pounced with a vicious snarl.

The animal howled in pain as Swiftfang latched onto its neck and bit down, tearing the skin away. He dug his tail into the animal to paralyze it, leaving it unable to escape. Within a full minute, his prey collapsed, lifeless. The hunter hopped down, satisfied with himself.

Swiftfang decided to start his meal near the midsection. As he munched through the animal's skin, he heard something charge through the forest, followed by a deafening roar.

He paused, looked up to see the attacker and snarled. A dark-blue male Spiketail (what humans would describe as a Deadly Nadder in the future) had picked up the scent of the carcass and wanted to have it for himself. He bellowed again, hoping to scare Swiftfang off.

Swiftfang stood his ground. No predator gives up his meal easily. He snarled back, warning the newcomer to back off. The Spiketail, too, did not retreat. Instead, he backed up a few steps… and charged, leading to a fight between the two.

Swiftfang screeched and jumped on top of the carcass, ready to pounce on the approaching Spiketail. It ran closer, its head lowered and horn ready. But before the two dragons met…

…something burst from the forest and clamped its jaws around the Spiketail's throat. It wailed in pain as the creature threw it to the ground, knocking up dirt. The dragon thrashed and kicked, trying to escape and fly away, although its efforts were for naught.

Swiftfang was in shock now. Never before had he seen this creature. He had only heard its roars throughout the jungle. It was said it was the most vicious creature in the world.

A Tyrant.

With one foot on the neck of the dead Spiketail, the Tyrant let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the forest. Swiftfang was left petrified in both fear and awe. As the Tyrant bellowed again, right at Swiftfang, he realized that he was invading its territory.

Wanting to live to hunt another day, Swiftfang turned and ran, the Tyrant taking earth-shaking steps behind him. It growled and snapped at him just as Swiftfang dove into a space the large predator couldn't reach. The Tyrant ceased its chase and turned back to the clearing, picking up Swiftfang's kill by the neck and dragging it away.

Swiftfang hissed as he knew he would have to find food elsewhere. Life in this savage land would not be simple as one thought.

DRAGON-DINO KEY

Tyrant- Tyrannosaurus Rex

Hunter- Deinonychus

Threehorn- Triceratops

dinosaur Swiftfang kills- Parasaurolophus

(A/N: Okay, so apparently, I have always daydreamed about two well-known reptilian species living side-by-side. I'm a fan of dinosaurs more than dragons, but I like both races. So, I've always wanted to see a day in the life of prehistoric HTTYD and I hope some of you guys wanted to see it too. I will work on more of my "Secret History" stuff in the future. Until then, please enjoy what I have so far!)